Even by rural Ugandan standards, Besweri Bukenya and Eseli Nambi’s house looks basic. The small, tin-roofed, mud-and-wattle structure only stands out because of the freshness of the red earth.

But for this couple in Baakijjulula village, in the Kiboga district of central Uganda, the modest house is a blessing. It was built with savings from the senior citizens’ grants that the government gives to vulnerable Ugandans with assistance from Irish Aid and the UK Department for International Development.